isn't dead, but it could be a couple of weeks if chuck hagel finds out if he should be running the pentagon. senate gem kratz failed to muster enough support to move hagel's nomination to the floor for a vote yesterday. the white house remains confident that hagel will be confirmed but accuses republicans of political posturing. >> ayes are 58, innays are 40. >> reporter: chuck hagel fell short of the votes needed to break a filibuster for his nomination to be the defense secretary. >> the filibuster of senator hagglehag hagel nomination is unprecedented. not a single nominee for defense secretary has ever been filibuster, never, ever. >> reporter: republicans argue they need more time, too controversial only to be confirmed days after getting through committee on a party line vote. >> we have a constitutional responsibility to -- to consider the nominee. a number of the republican senators have questions. >> reporter: democrats see it another way. republicans are dragging their feet on hagel to look for more information to bring them down. >> let's not hide behind a filibuster. let's have